The Hunted
by Lady Zutara
Summary: AU. A group of the world's most elite warriors are ripped from their lives and tossed into the middle of a deadly hunting game. Follow these eight strangers as they struggle to survive and attempt to discover who or what's trying to kill them. Eventual Zutara.
1. The Jungle Creed

**Chapter One: The Jungle Creed**

T _he jungle creed says the strongest feed on any prey they can. But I was branded beast at every feast before I ever became a man._

* * *

Footsteps. The indisputable sound of footsteps echoes throughout the still alley as a nameless man runs for his life. He's a big guy, the kind of guy who could frighten you with a hard look. But now he's scared, running as if the entire world is chasing behind him.

Around him Ba Sing Se looms like a concrete jungle, with its bustling, chaotic, frenzied streets echoing his state of mind.

The man glances back, sees nothing, and redoubles his already grueling pace.

He turns a corner and powers along the street, arms pumping like pistons, shoes thumping evenly against the ground. He creates a rhythm and continues running, turning corners-left and right- until he reaches a dead end.

He spins, scanning for exits.

 **There are none**.

He freezes, back against the wall. Knife pointed at the mouth of the alley, held in a shaky grip. His breathing is sporadic as he tries to prepare himself for whatever comes around that corner.

The man waits, sucking in air, finger on the hilt... waits... waits...

Nothing.

He relaxes just a bit.

WHAM, he's jerked upward as if plucked by an invisible hand.

Make it a noose. He dangles from it, losing his knife in the process, the tips of his toes scraping against the ground. A liquid, kerosene by the scent, splashes from above, drenching him.

He chokes. Footsteps. His hunter approaches.

A figure, clad in all black sporting a blue mask with a devilish grin approaches watchfully. As he nears his victim, he removes the mask to reveal a hardened face. One side badly scarred, but not too scarred to make him unhandsome. His golden eyes assess his prey.

The man stares back at him, eyes wide with terror. Gurgling. His mouth trying to form words that never come.

It doesn't matter though. Zuko has heard it all before.

"This isn't how I would do it." He sighs.

"But this is how they wanted it done." He takes one last look at the man he's just killed and reapplies his mask.

He feels no remorse as he lights a flame on the tips of his fingers and shoots it at the man's kerosene soaked body.

After all, he reminds himself, it's just a job.

The man lights up like a bonfire and screams as he burns alive.

Zuko keeps walking.

Suddenly, an eerie wind sweeps along the street.

Lanterns blow out one after the other.

Zuko spins, sensing something coming up from behind, a split second before-

Darkness. It's too late.

* * *

Zuko's eyes snap open. He's disoriented, groggy, panicked. His mind is racing, coming back online, trying to regain its bearings. Discovering that he is-

IN FREEFALL

He's plummeting through the void like lightning, an earthbound missile dressed in the same clothes he wore a moment ago. He's twisting, tumbling, screaming. The wind is howling, whipping mercilessly at his hair and flesh.

Just like the nightmare. Except-

THIS. IS. REAL.

Reality is like a relentless tornado. With each rotation he catches a glimpse of the blue above and the vast expanse of green below, the latter closing in fast.

He notices some sort of harness crossing his chest. And spots the strap he hopes will save his life. He clumsily pulls it and the parachute deploys with a pop.

His speed decreases in less than a second, deceleration jerking him up. But the jungle still looms ahead.

He crashes through the canopy, bashing against trunks, clipping branches, before finally hitting the ground. HARD.

In a second he's climbing to his feet, trying to steady his ragged breathing. He detaches the harness with shaky fingers and takes in his surroundings.

He's in a small clearing framed by monstrous tropical trees, plants and bushes, obscuring vision in all directions. Shafts of light stream from openings in the foliage a hundred feet above. The steady buzz of insects breaks the eerie silence.

It's haunting, humid, and hot.

He stares about in a state of shock with one question on his mind.

"What the-"

He's interrupted as another screaming figure plummets from the sky, yelling obscenities the entire way down.

Zuko watches. All he can do is watch.

The man lands a few feet away, twin hooked swords strapped to his back. He appears to be in his early 20s, like Zuko. His real name is unimportant. But to most he's known as-

"Jet's the name." The brown-eyed stranger declares as he struggles to detach his chute. "And who might you be?" He questions wearily.

CRASH! A body smashes on the ground like a cannon ball, stealing their attention. This one won't be getting up.

"Who is he?" Jet questions again.

POP, the dead man's chute unfurls. Too little, too late.

"The guy whose chute didn't work." Zuko replies, a little too flatly.

Before Jet can respond, Zuko motions for his silence.

He hears the faint chatter of hushed voices coming from deeper within the jungle and begins to move towards them.

"Hey! Hey!" Jet shouts. "Where are you going? Hey!"

Zuko ignores him and keeps walking. Jet tries to follow but gets tangled in his own chute lines. The sound of his cursing fades into obscurity as Zuko moves further into the jungle.

He slices a path through the thick vegetation with his twin dao swords, the voices becoming closer and closer all the while.

When he finally reaches the source of the noise, what he sees is chaos.

Parachutes litter the ground.

A tall, air nomad, armed with a wooden staff is yelling at-

A watertribe woman, who stands defiantly with her own waterskin pointed back at him, as she yells "Look _Aang,_ if that's even your name, I don't know who you work for but you better give me some answers and fast!"

"I-I don't work for anyone, _Katara_ ", he stammered, "My people are peaceful. What reason would I have to kidnap you?!"

Heads and weapons turn to Zuko, as he appears. Both yell at him for a change.

He raises his hands in mock surrender, indicating that he's no threat.

All of a sudden, branches are cracking and leaves are raining down on the three of them. They all spin toward the source.

Fifteen feet above, another stranger hangs from the trees, cutting the lines of his chute with a…boomerang?

He drops and lands on his feet like a cat. His head's shaved and he's got a crazy look in his bright, blue eyes. He's wearing a maroon jumpsuit with the faded words **Boiling Rock Prison** stenciled into the fabric

"I'm not afraid to use this!" He declares, as he waves his boomerang back and forth, eyeing the others.

He's backing away from the rest of the group when a hand shoots out of nowhere, pressing a blade to his throat.

The hand's owner materializes behind him with the silent swiftness of a ghost. She's got red hair, in her early 20s. And she's dressed in the most ridiculous outfit Zuko has ever seen.

"Drop your weapons." She commands. "Or he dies."

The confused group takes one another in with weary eyes. Paranoia is setting in. As Aang reaches for his staff, Zuko's hands edge ever-so-slowly to his swords.

All is silent when-

The water tribe guy's head whips around and he exclaims. "Suki!? I thought you were dead!"

"Shut it, Sokka!" She replies. "And I would have been if it were up to you!"

He ignores her comment and scoffs. "You're not gonna kill me."

"Oh, trust me." She asserts, as she presses the blade closer to his neck. "I would."

Aang is about to say something, when Zuko motions for quiet.

Despite what everyone thinks he'll do, Zuko doesn't talk. He listens.

And then he's moving again.

That's when Jet emerges out of the bushes and surveys the new arrivals.

"Can anyone tell me what's going on around here?" He demands.

"Water." Katara replies, as if keying in on what Zuko realized a few moments ago. She follows a few steps behind him.

"I said I'm going to cut his throat!" Suki threatens again.

Aang just ignores her and follows Katara and Zuko. Jet isn't far behind.

Suki watches them walk into the foliage and realizes the futility of her threat. She shoves Sokka aside.

They stand there for a moment, sizing each other up. Before they stride off in the same direction as their new companions, Sokka glaring daggers at his assailant's back the entire way.

They catch up to the others standing in the clearing Jet left only a few moments before.

A figure steps out of the bushes. It's a woman. She's wearing a white dress and a jade bracelet with the name _Toph_ engraved in gold. She stands there stock straight, appearing to be staring them all down. But if you look closely enough you can see she isn't really staring at anyone. Her green eyes are too cloudy and unfocused.

She's blind, they all realize at once.

She begins walking towards them when one of her dress shoes sinks into the mud.

Toph, utterly undeterred, takes them off and lays them neatly on the ground. She lets her feet linger in the mud a moment longer before she continues toward the group confidently.

They don't say anything. And neither does she.

Zuko starts walking again.

The ragtag group continues pushing their way through the foliage until Zuko just stops.

A shallow creek runs in front of him. To the right, sitting on a rock, his back toward Zuko, is a small unassuming man. Black hair. Goggles. Green Shirt.

He stares at the water with the wonder and innocence of a child. He turns, taking in Zuko and all the others. A trickle of blood travels slowly along the side of his face.

"Who are you?" Katara asks.

"I'm Teo. And this is not where I was before." He tells the collective group.

Ignoring his comment, Katara responds. "You're bleeding."

He brushes his right hand against his face and his fingers come away red and wet. He studies them absentmindedly.

"Oh that." He replies nonchalantly. "It's not mine."

An eerie silence permeates throughout the group. Creepy doesn't even begin to describe this guy.

Zuko turns towards Aang. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"War." Aang replies.

Suki nods. "Same here."

"I was…working" Jet adds. "And then everything just-"

"Stopped." Sokka finishes for him.

Another long silence pervades the group.

"What happened to us?" Katara questions barely above a whisper.

"Waaait." Sokka says wide-eyed. "You don't think... we could be... dead?"

That gives everyone pause. It's obviously a possibility the group hasn't considered.

Sokka begins to freak out, walking around in circles, hyperventilating.

"I can't believe it!" He shouts between wheezes. "I'm dead, aren't I?! I'm dead, and this is hell!"

"Last I checked, you didn't need a parachute to get there." Suki interjects.

Sokka stops his wheezing. "Good point. But still…"

"Why put us here?" Aang adds.

"How do I even know 'here' exists?" Katara questions. "Maybe I'm asleep and this, all this, is just some bad dream."

"I'm real. That fall was real." Suki replies with conviction.

"And these are definitely real." She adds, as she motions towards the two metal fans hanging from her sides.

"Maybe we ticked off the wrong people. Maybe this is punishment." Jet proposes.

"Nah." Sokka discounts the idea. "Where I come from, you tick someone off, they jump you when the guards aren't watching. Not dump you in the middle of a jungle."

"A test then" Aang interjects. "To see how we do under pressure. That's why they armed us."

The conversation drawls on, but Zuko isn't paying attention anymore. He's staring into the jungle surrounding them. And realizes that-

 **They're being watched.**

He looks back towards the group to see Toph staring at him with those milky green eyes. As if she's seen what he's seen, as if she's realized it too.

He hones back in on the group's conversation to hear that dreaded question again.

"What happened to us?" Jet demands.

Zuko's had enough of that question and ALL the others Jet has yet to ask.

"It doesn't matter." He responds. "It happened."

They look toward him, eager for solutions, for answers, for something, anything, to make sense again. But Zuko's just as clueless as them, he's just better at hiding it.

"Water means life." He continues. "There might be a camp or a village downstream."

The exhausted group begins to move down the creek. Together. For the moment.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! This story has been sitting on my computer for a while; I figured it was about time for me to publish it. It's based off the 2010 Predator movie which is amazing. Please leave any comments, questions, or concerns in a review! :D

Oh and just to clarify. No, Katara and Sokka do not know each other. Yes, Sokka and Suki do know each other. But that will be explained later.

By the way, appropriate reviews include but are not limited to "llama" "I hate this fic" "Digital style" and "I love this fic" All opinions and thoughts are welcome! Thanks for the read!


	2. Butterflies and Earthquakes

**Chapter Two: Butterflies and Earthquakes**

* * *

The sun beats down without mercy on the bedraggled group. The small stream they had been following runs to the left, as Zuko hacks a path through lush vegetation with even, surgeon-like strokes.

The rest of the crew is spread out behind him, waiting and watching. All around them looms the jungle labyrinth, towering and vast. Every one of them senses something just outside of their field of vision, something they can't name…something dangerous.

Sokka keeps glancing up, hunched over, uncomfortable, as if feeling the weight of the open space on his shoulders. He catches up to Zuko. "So where's this village?"

Zuko doesn't respond.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Where's the village?" Sokka demands again.

Zuko waves his hand towards the jungle. "That way. About twelve miles. You should start now."

Sokka bristles and then stalks away.

A few paces behind, Aang stares in Sokka's direction in bewilderment. He turns to Jet. "What's up with him?"

"Freedom." Jet simply replies. But Aang doesn't seem any less perplexed.

He continues. "Take a monkey out of the cage, it'll miss the bars."

Bringing up the rear of the group, Katara stands transfixed by a blooming plant. Its pedals are bright, delicate, almost hypnotic in their appearance. She is reaching out to touch them when-

Teo's hand intercepts hers.

"I wouldn't do that." He chides.

Katara's hand recoils from his touch; but Teo simply smiles, used to the reaction. He flips out a surgical scalpel and gingerly extends it toward the flower.

SNAP, the pedals close around the blade like a bear trap.

"The crouching fire lily." He declares with a hint of admiration. "Very poisonous."

He withdraws the scalpel to eye the yellow pus dripping off the steel. "Very deadly. All it would take is one scratch."

Katara stares at him with concern.

"I read a lot." He continues. "But this is strange."

"How's that?" Katara queries.

"They've been extinct for nearly 200 years, at least before the beginning of the war."

Katara stares at the flower in shock, before passing it off as just another mystery. She shakes it off and keeps walking.

* * *

As the group continues walking, the stream becomes a river. They follow its course. From the sky above, the group looks like ants crawling along a thin blue thread, with nothing but jungle surrounding them in all directions.

They're making steady progress along the river, when Zuko stops, his eyes glued to the ground.

Katara notes his concern. "What is it?"

"Tracks." He replies.

They're faint, barely noticeable; but they're there.

"So?" Jet interjects.

"So I've never seen them before." Zuko touches the ground, trying to determine what creature could have made them.

"…Fresh." He says, almost to himself.

"What are you?" Jet questions. "Some kind of hunter?"

"Some kind." Zuko replies.

"Like komodo rhinos and stuff?"

Zuko rises, looking Jet square in the eye. "No. Like you."

After a few seconds, he walks away from a dumbfounded Jet to resume the trek.

* * *

The light of the sky is dimmer now. Sounds feel louder and closer. And more malevolent.

Aching muscles, sweat stains, and weariness spread like wildfire throughout the group. The journey is taking its toll, and it shows. The crew is taking a brief respite.

Jet eyes the muddy stream. "Think it's safe to drink?"

"You find out. You let me know." Aang responds.

They look over to see Suki pulling down a thick vine. A cracking noise sounds in the air, as she severs it with her knife. A trickle of water slowly emerges, she drinks.

Within moments, everyone has followed her example and they drink greedily.

A few feet away Jet watches Katara, the predatory gleam in his gaze promises nothing but trouble.

She feels his eyes on her and turns to look at him.

He grins.

She doesn't. If looks could kill, Jet would be a dead man.

Gradually Jet's smirk curdles like milk. He looks away.

Katara looks around the group and chooses to settle down next to Zuko.

"You got a name?" She questions.

He looks at her for a beat. "…Lee."

Katara can tell by the way his gaze won't meet hers that he's lying, but she doesn't press him any further. "I'm Katara."

An awkward silence takes over. This _Lee_ isn't much of a talker.

"So." She gestures toward the rest of the group. "What do you think?"

He shrugs, reading over the faces of their companions like pai sho tiles.

"Airbender, probably one of the nomads. Earth kingdom resistance leader. Watertribe prisoner of war. Mercenary. And a noble's daughter, probably an earthbender."

His eyes finally settle on Teo, who's raptly examining a beautiful butterfly that's landed on his arm. "That." He continues.

His eyes finally turn to Katara's and he nods towards her waterskin. "And you. I'd say we were chosen."

Silence. It hangs there.

"Chosen for what?" Katara wonders aloud.

BOOM! A sonic boom crashes over the clearing like a tsunami. Something large streaks overhead, too fast to make out. The earth shakes and bushes compress. The group is knocked flat on their bottoms, clinging to the ground for dear life.

And then it's gone, just as suddenly as it appeared, a path of destruction visible through the jungle. The tumult fades. The group dust themselves off, shaken but unhurt.

"Airship?" Suki questions.

"The colors. It had to be Earth Kingdom military." Aang adds. "And that low, it would be landing someplace close."

They trade glances. For the first time there's something new in their eyes, shining through grime and exhaustion. **Hope.** No words are exchanged. They move into the jungle, following the trail.

As they leave, no one notices the butterfly writhing in the dirt, trying to take flight in vain. It's wings have been pulled off.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you guys liked chapter two! There's more action to come in the future. Yeah…Teo's really weird. How do you guys feel about him and everyone else so far?**

 **Guest Review Responses:**

 _Guest 1: Will be keeping an eye on this, looks interesting! Also, for some reason I'm getting the feeling that the guy whose parachute didn't work was Haru. It's probably bad that I cracked up at that scene, lol._

Haha I actually cracked up when I wrote that scene, so you're definitely not alone. And we'll see who it was soon. ;)

 _Guest 2: Wow this is kinda a creepy beginning but it's so good. I love your writing style and am excited to see where the story leads._

Awh. Thank you so much. I seriously thought people were going to hate this fanfic when I started writing it, but so far I've received nothing but positive feedback. Thanks for the support!


	3. Dead Man's Trap

**Chapter Three: Dead Man's Trap**

* * *

On the road again, the jungle seems denser, more impenetrable, as if it's determined to stop the group. But still, they continue onward, descending into a ravine.

The trek is dull and uneventful, until Suki's foot snags on something. She trips and falls.

Sokka brushes past her, grinning. "Looking good there, Suki."

She's glaring daggers at him when a massive tree trunk, suspended by vines, swings towards him like a hammer.

He rolls out of the way, barely.

The others frantically scatter, tripping more wires in the process.

A piercing sound echoes throughout the gorge as three makeshift spears spin toward them in every direction, stabbing foliage and earth along the way.

Jet dodges one, only to trigger the next trap -a branch, adorned with carved spikes. It lashes out!

They duck, the thing passing **inches** above their heads.

Katara rushes forward, trying desperately to get out of the kill zone. She's almost there, when she inexplicably plunges straight through the ground into a camouflaged pit.

Her hands catch at its edge. She hangs there, literally clinging to life by her fingernails. A row of razor sharp sticks await her arrival at the bottom.

She's battling gravity and she's losing. She digs deep, trying to find the strength to hold on but her hold…gives!

Zuko catches her, reeling her back in.

They freeze, eyes and weapons searching for targets. They await the next attack.

Silence. None seems forthcoming.

Katara raises water to her fingertips, trying to control her breathing.

Her eyes are scanning back and forth across the expanse of jungle, when she catches a glint of something.

"That way." She declares, as she points towards it.

Zuko is already in motion. He vanishes into the bushes, without a second thought.

The rest of the group spreads out and follows.

* * *

Zuko is moving fast, soundless, and light. He's at his best now. Alone.

He arrives at a small ridge, stopping dead in his tracks. He stares, what he sees shocks him to the core.

A corpse. The corpse of his sister to be precise lies motionless on the ground. Azula, in her blood red royal armor, lies lifeless on the jungle floor. Her chest cavity like an inward implosion, fused, burned, a gaping wound. Her eyes still open, staring upward into nothingness.

 _His_ sister? The sister who had killed their Uncle, had tried to kill their Father, and had tried to kill him is dead?

He stumbles backward, in shock more than anything. Grief and pity tickle at the edge of his mind. But he resists them because she doesn't deserve them. She doesn't deserve anything but his anger and hate.

 _Her_ attempt on Ozai's life cost _him_ everything. _He_ was scarred and banished because he tried to save _her_. But instead of showing even an ounce gratitude, she tried to kill him. And she would have, if it weren't for Uncle.

His eyes shift from the charred remains of her chest, to the coy smile playing upon her lips. She was smug…even in the face of death. How fitting it was that she would take her own life.

At that moment, Zuko decides she doesn't deserve **anything**. So, he will give her **nothing**.

His eyes lift from her body as the rest of the group converges, breathing ragged, still jacked up on adrenaline. They take in the eerie sight.

Suki's the first one to realize. "We tripped a dead girl's trap."

"Yes." Zuko nods. "She's been dead two days. Maybe three."

Aang leans over the body, sizing her up in one glance. "Fire Nation Officer. High ranking by the look of it."

Zuko knows that's wrong. He knows she's _supposed_ to be in chains, but he doesn't say anything.

Sokka shakes his head. "This just doesn't make sense. What was she doing setting traps for us?"

"She wasn't." Zuko corrects. "She was hunting something else, something a lot bigger."

All eyes turn towards him.

"The trunk was a deadfall trap." He explains. "Rule of thumb, the weight is at least five times heavier than that of the target animal."

"So what's the animal?" Sokka questions.

"No idea. But whatever it was, it scared her enough to make her do this." He gestures towards her cooked chest.

"What would make her do that?" Teo wonders aloud.

Zuko doesn't know, and he doesn't want to. Azula was one of the fiercest warriors he'd ever known. If something out there scared her enough to make her do this, he knew he should be petrified. Everyone should be.

"We should bury her." Jet says.

"Why?" Zuko deadpans. "She's dead."

No one responds, so Zuko strides away.

Aang removes his cloak, covering her corpse, before he trails off behind him.

They walk off one by one, until only Suki remains. She's hurriedly catching up to them, when she just stops.

Slowly, she turns back. Freezing, she stares into the jungle as if sensing something within its depths.

Something she can't see or name. Watching. Waiting…

A branch sways…except there's no wind.

"What is it?"

Suki is jerked back to reality. Her eyes on Zuko, her pupils dilated, she's a woman snapping out of a trance.

"What did you see?" He demands again.

She shakes her head as she begins to walk away. "...Nothing."

For a moment, Zuko skeptically looks after her. Then, he follows.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey guys! I'm sorry this chapter was so short. This chunk just didn't fit in well with the next chapter, so I decided to publish it on its own.

Yeah…I killed off Azula. I don't know if you guys will hate me for it or not. I think she's an AMAZING character, but a living Azula didn't make sense within the plot as a whole. If anyone has any questions about why I did this, feel free to ask.

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter. You guys are amazing and really inspire me to write!

 **Guest Review Replies:**

 _Guest 1: llama. Seriously though, great effort. I really like where this is going. Getting a Running Man/Hunger Games vibe from this fic. And no, I'm talking about the books, not the movies. (For both)_

Haha I was waiting for someone to use that. Thank you for making my day. Ahh those are both amazing books! And if I'm giving off any vibes, I'm glad it's that kind.

 _Guest 2: Lol at poor jet, trying to get certain reactions only to get hostility :p anyway, this story seems like it will be suspenseful and I'm so ready for the surprises!_

Haha I know! No one in the group really likes him at this point; they're all kind of tolerating him. I hope Azula's death was a surprise!

 _CloudWatcher: Haha is it just me, or does everyone hate Jet? Great chapter! I'll be keeping an eye on this. :)_

I wouldn't necessarily call it hatred. But their feelings toward him range from intense dislike to slight annoyance. I'm glad you like the story so far!

 _Guest 3: This story seems really suspenseful and full of action. I love the predators movies, so I feel like you're doing an awesome job. We didn't see any of Toph this chapter, what's up with her? Update soon!_

Yeah, it was an awesome movie! I really hope they make a sequel. Toph is going to be very low key towards the beginning of this fic, but don't worry you'll be seeing a lot more of her in the future!

 _Guest 4: Interesting start, can't wait for more._

I can't wait to write more!

 _Guest 5: Teo so sus katara better stay away teo so shady he's gonna kill her with a damn flower_

LOL! Yeah, if anyone used a flower as a murder weapon it would be Teo.


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